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A concise look back at the events that led to the pay-dispute crisis between the Australian players and their cricket board

Daniel Brettig30-Jun-20173:46

What is the CA-ACA pay dispute?

November 11: MoU negotiations between Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) formally begin in Melbourne, with a meeting between CA’s chairman David Peever and his opposite number Greg Dyer. The meeting was preluded by news that the ACA was chasing a more expansive definition of Australian Cricket Revenue – the agreed pool of money from which their payment has been drawn – to include digital revenue.December 7: Australia’s captain Steven Smith and deputy David Warner dine with CA board directors where the governing body’s desire to break up the revenue sharing model is discussed. It is an evening that begins a trend of CA trying to go around the ACA to deal directly with the players.December 12: CA sends its initial pay submission to the ACA and players, detailing plans to break up the revenue sharing model and offer fixed wages to domestic male and female players, while only offering surplus profits – capped at A$20 million – to international men (subsequently expanded to also include international women). A particular sticking point is the pregnancy policy for female players.December 19: CA suspends pay talks with the ACA after the pregnancy clause revelations, locking the players’ association’s negotiating team out of a scheduled meeting at the board’s Jolimont headquarters – this is the first major breakdown in pay talks between the two bodies in 20 years.December 22: Australia’s men’s and women’s captains Steven Smith and Meg Lanning write to the CA chief executive James Sutherland requesting that the board respects the ACA as the players’ collective bargaining agent and asking that they cease attempts to deal directly with individual players.December 27: Sutherland seeks to take some heat out of discussions by stating during the Boxing Day Test match against Pakistan that Australia’s players’ association and board have “more in common than not”.January 24: The ACA claims that it is not being offered substantial financial details on which to judge CA’s proposal and weigh it up against its own.March 5: Sutherland maintains CA’s desire to break up the revenue percentage model while visiting India for Australia’s Test tour.March 21: Players are presented with CA’s formal pay offer, which adds some detail and some adjustments to the December proposal but remains largely unchanged in its modelling and overall thrust, seeking to breakup the revenue sharing model and return wage control to the board. The offer also outlines what CA intends to do with the money raised by changing the model – expanding its media wing and investing in other new projects in addition to https://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/story/1087893.html” target=”_blank”>funding the grassroots.April 19: Tim May, the former ACA chief executive and an architect of the first revenue sharing MoU in 1998, challenges CA to provide a more substantial case for breaking up the model.April 27: CA’s head of cricket operations, Sean Cary, one of few board employees to work closely and consistently with the ACA, quits to take up a tennis job in the United States.May 11: Mitchell Starc insists that no Australian players will entertain contract negotiations until a new MoU is agreed upon, following revelations that CA’s team performance manager Pat Howard has offered multi-year deals to the top five players – Starc, Steven Smith, David Warner, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.May 12: Sutherland writes to his opposite number at the ACA Alistair Nicholson, criticising the ACA’s approach to negotiations and informs all players coming out of contract that they will be unemployed as of July 1. The ACA requests mediation to move pay talks forward after numerous rounds of fruitless meetings between the players’ association and the board.May 15: David Warner further inflames the dispute by saying CA might find itself without any players for the Ashes if the two parties cannot reach an agreement.May 17: CA’s chairman David Peever rejects the ACA’s request for mediation, stating that negotiations had not yet begun.May 18: The ACA unveils a contingency fund for players left out of pocket in the event of the pay dispute going beyond June 30.May 25: The ACA announces the foundation of The Cricketers Brand, a commercial wing of the association for the use of the players’ intellectual property, which passes out of the hands of CA beyond June 30 when the MoU expires.May 27-28: Peever rejects the ACA’s calls for mediation a second time as CA again attempts to deal directly with the players. Australia’s federal minister for sport, Greg Hunt, reveals the governmentwould be prepared to provide mediation for the two parties if the dispute were to threaten the Ashes.May 30: CA releases a video featuring lead negotiator Kevin Roberts explaining CA’s pay offer to players, with another released the following week. One of the graphics accompanying the video states that the Big Bash League lost A$33 million for CA over its first five years, a claim attacked by the ACA’s Simon Katich.June 8: Warner criticises CA for the release of the videos to players in the middle of their Champions Trophy campaign. Australia would be eliminated in the first round after a pair of washouts are followed by a loss to England.June 20: South Africa launches its new Twenty20 tournament and it is revealed that numerous Australian players, including internationals, have expressed interest in the event which will clash with the home season. At the same time it emerges that players have discussed playing exhibition matches should the dispute be lengthy.June 21: Following the announcement of the AFL’s pay deal with its players, the AFLPA chief executive and former ACA chief Paul Marsh criticises CA for endangering the international game. At the same time CA’s lead negotiator Roberts goes on a national roadshow to explain CA’s position to the players.June 23: CA offers a pair of concessions relative to its previous offer – increasing payments for domestic male players and also linking all players to the capped bonus system originally offered only to international players – at the same time as sending contract offers out to all players. The ACA, angered by the offers being sent out without an MoU, rejects the concessions.June 27: Players meet at an annual golf day in Sydney and implore CA’s chief executive James Sutherland to get directly involved in negotiations. Sutherland, who has kept at arm’s length from talks, arrives back in Melbourne from ICC meetings a day before the MoU expires.June 28: Players are sent a communique from the team performance manager Pat Howard outlining arrangements beyond the expiry of the MoU, including a warning that any players taking part in exhibition matches will be banned from the Ashes. Limited talks between the two parties go nowhere substantial.June 30: MoU deadline day arrives, and CA marks it by hardening its stance against the players, announcing that all money originally intended to be paid to out of contract players will instead be diverted to grassroots funding programmes until an MoU is agreed upon. This move enrages the playersfurther.

Newcastle United's home St. James' Park is the favourite to host the inaugural Over-35s World Cup.

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St. James' could host Over-35s World CupEight teams to take part in the inaugural editionCould be held in the first week of JuneWHAT HAPPENED?

The first-ever edition of the Over-35s World Cup is all set to be held in England in June with Newcastle United's home ground St. James' Park likely to host the matches, according to the Daily Mail. The Elite Player Group, who are organising the tournament, recently met representatives of the Magpies and the local council of Newcastle city.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The tournament is all set to feature eight teams – England, Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Uruguay – all past champions of the FIFA World Cup. Players who are aged 35 or above capped by their country or with 100 top-flight appearances are eligible to participate in the competition.

DID YOU KNOW?

All eight teams have already revealed their respective captains for the tournament. The leaders will be Steve McManaman (England), Esteban Cambiasso (Argentina), Emerson (Brazil), Christian Karembeu (France), Kevin Kuranyi (Germany), Marco Materazzi (Italy), Michel Salgado (Spain) and Diego Lugano (Uruguay). Full 18-man final squads will be announced soon.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

While the dates of the competition are yet to be finalised, the tournament could be tentatively hosted in the first week of June with the final taking place on June 11 or June 12.

Heavy overnight rain and a wet outfield forced the abandonment of the game in Bready, without a ball being bowled

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Aug-2018Heavy overnight rain and a wet outfield forced the abandonment of the third T20I between Ireland and Afghanistan in Bready, without a ball being bowled. The match referee called off the game at 15.45 local time, 15 minutes after the scheduled toss time.With Afghanistan already having sealed the series 2-0, Ireland were going into the game looking to salvage pride and end their seven-match losing streak in T20Is against the visitors. Afghanistan’s spin attack bowled them to victory in the first two games, building on Hazratullah Zazai’s solid batting displays on both occasions. Zazai was named Player of the Series for his two half-centuries.The action now heads to Stormont, which hosts the three-match ODI series between the two teams next week.

Liverpool will be looking to strengthen the ranks in 2024 and could unearth an exciting new attacking talent to bolster the existing options at Jurgen Klopp's disposal.

After suffering a calamitous 2022/23 campaign that locked the door on a seventh successive Champions League campaign unde Klopp's stewardship, the Merseyside outfit wiped away the sapped midfield and brought in a wealth of new additions.

And despite a testing week at present that has resulted in a Premier League draw away to newly-promoted Luton Town and a chastening defeat against French side Toulouse in the Europa League, Klopp will be convinced that his side can return to winning ways soon.

That being said, more work is needed on the transfer front in 2024 to restore Anfield to its former vigour, and while the priority will likely be on signing a defensive midfielder and left-sided defender, the Reds boss will be eager to fortify his frontline and given the target's youthful years, could be the perfect option.

Liverpool transfer news – Assane Diao

According to Spanish sources, Liverpool are set to rival Chelsea for the signature of Real Betis winger Assane Diao, who has emerged as one of LaLiga's top talents this season.

The Reds have been impressive in the Premier League this season but still need to improve to sustain a title challenge against the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal, with Tottenham Hotspur also in the mix under Ange Postecoglou's guidance.

In the 18-year-old Diao, Klopp could unearth a destructive new force still malleable enough to be sculpted to his own creation, though the German manager will have to meet the player's €30m (£26m) release clause, with Betis eager to agree to a new deal that raises that amount to €40m (£35m).

Assane Diao's style of play

Despite his youthful years, Diao has burst onto the major scene emphatically this season and has already scored four goals across all competitions for the Spanish side despite only playing ten times.

The two-cap Spain U21 international started his career as a midfielder but quickly proved his attacking skills were not to be sniffed at, and having joined Real Betis from fellow Spanish side Cadiz in 2021, has undergone a positional transformation to left wing, which is proving to propel him into first-team contention.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Aerial duels

Ball retention

Dribbling

Finishing

Long shots

*Sourced via WhoScored

While WhoScored has listed Diao's ability to hold onto the ball as a weakness, it is important to remember that he is literally at the start of the embryonic stage of his professional career, and given that he has impressed through his innate striking ability and elegance and effectiveness in dribbling the ball into the danger areas, this is hardly a cause for concern.

Remarked to be having an "incredible time" with his football right now by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Diao has scored twice from only six starting appearances in LaLiga, completing 80% of his passes, succeeding with 54% of his regular dribbling runs and winning 56% of his duels.

As per FBref, the Senegalese-born starlet ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 24% for successful take-ons, the top 19% for tackles, the top 11% for interceptions, the top 1% for blocks and the top 6% for aerial wins per 90.

Not only are his prodigious roots tantalising a career of prolific success, but he is also dazzling with his application and work rate, as is evidenced by his eye-catching defensive metrics.

Such qualities are similar to Merseyside-born Premier League star, Antony Gordon, who joined Newcastle United from Everton in a £45m transfer earlier this year.

How Assane Diao compares to Anthony Gordon

Gordon is listed as a similar player to Diao, as per FBref, and it's clear to see why, with the 22-year-old blessed with electric pace himself and a real ball of fire in his craft.

Unbeknownst to many, Gordon actually joined the Goodison Park side from their Anfield rivals as a youngster after being released from Liverpool's youth academy as a young teenager.

Speaking about his past affiliation with the Reds earlier this year, Gordon said: "It was another chance for me to grow. But that was hard. It affected me mentally and dented my confidence. I had to pick myself up and go again. When I got to Everton, I never looked back.”

Whether Liverpool rue the decision is questionable – under Klopp, they have revelled in an illustrious period steeped in offensive fluency – but nonetheless could have made good use of Gordon's ability had he remained on the books.

That can be rectified through the acquisition of Diao, who indeed offers skills to mirror Gordon's, with the Magpies menace ranking among the top 4% for tackles and the top 12% for blocks per 90.

The £60k-per-week wideman has been crucial for Eddie Howe's side this term and has posted four goals and two assists from ten matches in the Premier League, creating five big chances, completing 85% of his passes and succeeding with 58% of his dribbles, as per Sofascore.

Always considered a talented prospect but perhaps criticised for a lack of end product, Gordon is now starting to demonstrate his potential on Tyneside and is a perfect example of allowing players to nurture their core qualities and bloom into formidable forces at their own pace.

Season

Apps

Goals

Assists

G/A rate

23/24

10

4

2

0.60

22/23

32

4

0

0.12

21/22

35

4

2

0.17

20/21

3

0

0

n/a

19/20

11

0

1

0.09

*Statistics sourced via Transfermarkt

Whether Klopp opts to spend the money on Diao with other areas of the pitch requiring work remains to be seen at this point, but it could be a good move to make given that Betis ace would be happy with playing second fiddle to the likes of Luis Diaz at this stage.

With his alacritous motions and innate faculty for finding the back of the net, Diao would be a player worth investing in, and he could grow into one of the Premier League's finest forwards in the future.

Glasgow Rangers face a different sort of challenge this evening as Philippe Clement takes charge of the Ibrox side for the first time in European competition.

A trip to the Czech Republic to face Sparta Prague will prove to be a slightly more difficult task than what Hibernian offered at Ibrox on the weekend, as the Easter Road outfit slumped to a 4-0 defeat.

The early signs certainly look positive from the Belgian and another win this evening will buy him more credit with the supporters as a new era in Glasgow has well and truly begun.

The 49-year-old could perhaps likely make some changes from the starting XI that took on Hibs just a few days ago and rotation will be key to keep the players fresh.

What is the Rangers team news vs Sparta Prague?

One problem the former Club Brugge boss has is who will start at left-back. Borna Barisic was substituted off during the early stages of the Hibs clash with what appeared to be a thigh problem, and he was replaced by Ridvan Yilmaz.

Due to Michael Beale’s incompetence, Yilmaz is not included in the Europa League squad, leaving the Gers extremely light in this area and this could prompt Clement into a reshuffle at the back.

He could perhaps slot Ben Davies into the left side of defence, and this will probably be the logical thing to do ahead of the vital tie.

There could also be changes to the attacking setup and despite Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers enjoying solid performances against Hibs, will Clement start the duo or give opportunities to others who are keen to shine?

How has Sam Lammers performed for Rangers this season?

Although positive on the weekend, Lammers has failed to really convince the Ibrox faithful that his £3m transfer fee is fully justified.

Since joining from Atalanta in the summer under Beale, the Dutchman has found the back of the net only once across 17 matches, yet this was to be expected considering the forward scored just six goals since the beginning of the 2020/21 season.

This isn’t due to a lack of trying as the forward currently ranks first for shots per game (3.2) across the whole squad in the Premiership, yet he ranks seventh for goals and assists (two) and third for big chances missed (three) during the opening nine games of the season.

This form suggests he has yet to make the desired impact at the Glasgow side and Sparta Prague will prove to be a much more difficult opponent to break down compared to Hibs, giving Clement the licence to ditch Lammers.

The question is, who could replace him in the starting XI? With Todd Cantwell returning from injury on the weekend, he could be ready for his first start since the Old Firm clash against Celtic at the start of September.

Could Todd Cantwell start against Sparta Prague?

After missing five matches due to a knee injury suffered against Celtic, Cantwell made his return on Saturday and his 32-minute cameo was an effective one.

The midfielder replaced Scott Wright with just over half an hour left and he not only grabbed an assist, but also made two key passes, took one shot on target, and completed 88% of his attempted passes.

2-1 win vs Servette

2-0 win vs Sparta Prague

2-0 win vs FC Shkupi

1-0 win vs Progres Niederkorn

1-0 defeat to Malmö

It was a profitable return for the former Norwich City gem, and it may have opened a door for him to be unleashed from the first whistle against the Czech side.

How much did Todd Cantwell cost Rangers?

During Beale’s first transfer window in charge of the Light Blues, he managed to secure the signing of Cantwell from Norwich City for a fee believed to be around £1.5m and despite suffering a poor start to the season with the East Anglian side, it has proved to be a bargain so far for the Gers.

Gary Cockaday, his former youth coach, hailed him previously when discussing his talents as he made his way through to the first team at Norwich, saying: “At one point, two of them had Todd up against the line and you could see them thinking, ‘Gotcha!’

“Todd looked at one of them in the eye, put his toe under the ball, flicked it back over his head, turned and he was gone. All without looking at the ball.

“He did things every week that were just special. It was God-given. No one taught it. I always believed if you had someone like that, don’t change them or make them conform.”

His first few months at Ibrox were a major success as he finished the 2022/23 season having scored six times while registering five assists and his displays were one of the few bright sparks in a relatively poor season for the club.

The 25-year-old has yet to score so far this term, but this could be down to Beale’s lack of a proper tactical system rather than Cantwell’s ability suddenly diminishing.

Indeed, across the squad for his league displays, he currently ranks fifth for shots per game (1.8) along with ranking in the top five for interceptions per game (1.2) and while he has yet to hit the heights of last term, he could thrive under Clement.

A tie against Sparta will provide a perfect challenge for Cantwell, and he could certainly stake a claim to be a regular starter by putting on a solid performance.

Lammers has looked out of sorts since arriving in Scotland and although the Hibs tie indicated he could still have some sort of role under the Belgian, a European tie represents an ideal chance for him to rest a few players.

Cantwell may not be fit enough to last the full 90 minutes, yet his inclusion from the start could only benefit the Gers as they go chasing their second group stage win of the current season.

Celtic picked up their first point of the Champions League season as they were held by Spanish giants Atletico Madrid to a 2-2 draw at Parkhead on Wednesday night.

The Hoops were twice in front during the first half, thanks to goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and Luis Palma, but Diego Simeone's star-studded frontline produced the goods as goals from Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Mortata secured a point for their side.

Whilst it was disappointing for Brendan Rodgers' team not to walk away with all three points after going 1-0 and 2-1 up, there were plenty of positives to take from the game; including performances from Matt O'Riley and Liam Scales.

Matt O'Riley's statistics against Atletico Madrid

The Denmark U21 international was an influential figure in the middle of the park for Celtic as he showcased his ability at both ends of the pitch.

He provided a sublime assist for the opening goal from Kyogo with a perfectly-weighted first-time pass through to the Japan international, which split open the Atletico defence.

The former Fulham man went on to create one more chance and enjoyed 70 touches of the ball in total as he displayed his creativity in midfield.

O'Riley also made an impact out of possession. The left-footed whiz won six of his 11 duels and made three tackles and two interceptions in total, which shows that the central midfielder also worked hard to win the ball back for his team with a number of defensive interventions.

Liam Scales' statistics against Atletico Madrid

One player who stood out alongside O'Riley and caught the eye with his immense display at the back for Rodgers was central defender Scales.

The Ireland international, who started the game alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers at the heart of the defence, produced an impressive performance to keep Atletico quiet for large spells during the match.

Firstly, the former Aberdeen loanee displayed superb composure in possession of the ball with 103 attempted passes from 114 touches, which was 44 more than O'Riley had, and completed 86% of those passes.

He also dominated the opposition in his individual duels against the Atletico forwards. As per Sofascore, the 25-year-old machine won 70% (7/10) of his battles, which included six of his eight aerial contests, and this shows that the Spanish side found it difficult to get the better of him.

Scales also made two blocks, three clearances, and one tackle to help out Joe Hart to keep him as quiet as possible outside of the two Atletico goals.

His performance resulted in a Sofascore rating of 7.1 and this was 0.3 higher than any other starting member of the back four, and 0.6 higher than both of the full-backs – Alistair Johnston and Greg Taylor.

This shows that the Irish colossus was Rodgers' standout performer in defence for Celtic with his fantastic play in and out of possession over the course of the 90 minutes.

Therefore, Scales was immense for the Hoops and the Scottish giants may need him to maintain that level over the remaining three group stage games in order to stand a chance of securing qualification for the knockout stages.

Shoaib Malik’s unbeaten 49, coupled with Usman Khan’s two wickets propelled Pakistan towards a series win against Scotland, thumping the hosts by 84 runs in the second T20I

The Report by Danyal Rasool13-Jun-2018Leask 3-31) beat Scotland 82 (MacLeod 25, Faheem 3-5) by 84 runsAnother T20I masterclass from Pakistan veteran Shoaib Malik propelled Pakistan towards a series win against Scotland, thumping the hosts by 84 runs in the second T20I at the Grange. Under overcast conditions with a light drizzle threatening to interrupt the game for most of the match, Shoaib exploded – much like the first game – in the last few overs, smashing five sixes as he blitzed 49 off 22 to help Pakistan surge to 166.Unlike Tuesday, Scotland were never quite in the hunt for this one, losing George Munsey off the third ball, and never quite managing any momentum that might suggest a real contest could be on the cards. They were untidy with their running, rushed with their strokeplay and generally uncomfortable in the face of a sensational Pakistan in the field. It was a much improved bowling performance from the visitors, spearheaded by Usman Khan, who came in for Mohammad Amir, and registered figures of 2-0-4-2. Scotland began to fall away rather dramatically towards the end, with no less than three players run out as Kyle Coetzer’s men were bundled out for 82.There was some drama before the start, with Cricket Scotland officials and the television production team locked in an argument over using a fresh pitch for this game. The TV crew were concerned their cameras couldn’t be in line with the bowler at one end of the pitch, the result being a slightly askew broadcast angle from the Pavilion End. It’s the sort of drama people associate, sometimes patronisingly, with cricket on the Associate landscape.But Scotland wouldn’t have wanted the haphazardness to extend to their on-field performance. Pakistan got off to a flying start again, though Scotland were unfortunate not to have Fakhar Zaman out in the first over. Chris Sole extracted both an outside and an inside edge in the first six deliveries, the former put down in the slips, the latter narrowly missing the stumps. Both went for four. Sole had bowled an excellent first over, and conceded 12 runs.Shehzad and Zaman put on 60 for the first wicket, but Scotland, just as they had done in the first game, struck back in the middle overs. The runs were restricted right up until the last two overs, with batsmen unable to kick on from starts in the face of tight, disciplined bowling from Scotland’s bowlers, particularly Mark Watt and Michael Leask.Peter Della PennaBut Shoaib Malik came to Pakistan’s rescue once more, with a whirlwind last two overs, scoring 32 of Pakistan’s 34 runs as they turned a slightly below-par score into an imposing one of 166. He was put down at the end of the 19th over on the long-off boundary, a simple catch that Leask failed to hold on to. Just as Tuesday, the drops cost Scotland dear in the field as Shoaib went on to score 14 in the final over, leaving Scotland to ponder how to improve their fielding against a quality opposition like the one they faced today.The pitch looked no worse than the one used on Tuesday, where 200 seemed about par. But the change of pitch today meant the long-on/ midwicket boundary from one side of the ground was 10 meters larger, and shots that would have comfortably carried over the ropes on Tuesday were being caught inside the boundary on the field, including a spectacular tag-team catch and relay effort from Dylan Budge and Watt to claim Sarfraz at deep square leg. That restricted Pakistan to the relatively modest 166, and made it arguably a more searching chase than the previous one might have been.However, at no stage of the Scottish innings did their batsmen begin to establish any sort of relationship with the boundary rope. Pakistan circled around them in the infield, and the pitch looked a fair bit faster when the Pakistan bowlers were operating on it. Usman isn’t a regular starter for Pakistan, but when in form, almost always seems to make a match-winning difference. He hurried on to the batsmen, and as the rain began to get slightly heavier, the Scottish mood began to match the Edinburgh weather. They could do little more than shuffle around for ones and twos and get the odd boundary, but it was never nearly enough to challenge the ever-rising asking rate.It was unfortunate to see the home side losing their heads towards the end, with a couple of unnecessary run-outs easing Pakistan’s way to an inevitable win they didn’t need any help with. Calum MacLeod was the man at the other end for all three of Scotland’s run-outs, but you’d be hard-pressed to blame him for any of them, what with the Pakistan fielders prowling, looking to save every run as the asking rate bounded out of sight. Faheem Ashraf came back to polish off the last two wickets, giving his figures a shiny new look by the end, having taken three wickets for five runs.By the end, Pakistan’s dominance was so absolute, it was easy to forget the strides Scotland have made over the past few years. It would be harsh to focus on the manner of the defeat, and more prudent to reflect on the professionalism with which Pakistan have moved on from a Test series against England to a T20I series in Edinburgh, never letting their focus waver, and fielding a full-strength team when several others might have chosen to rest players. It was apt respect to pay to a side that has very much earned it over the last week.

Fast bowler seeks sustained run of match fitness ahead of England’s five-match ODI series in Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2018Mark Wood hopes that a new lengthened run-up could be the secret to a sustained run of match fitness, as he prepares for the start of England’s five-match ODI series in Sri Lanka on Wednesday.Wood’s ability to generate sharp pace from a short and explosive run-up has been a key reason why he has been considered a point-of-difference bowler in recent seasons, but it has also contributed to a spate of injuries, not least in his troublesome left heel, on which he has undergone numerous bouts of surgery.And now, with the World Cup looming next year, and his fitness restored after another interrupted summer, Wood hopes that a longer, smoother run-up could lead to a longer and smoother run in the England team.”It’s something I’ve worked on in the second half of the season in England and brought it here,” Wood told . “It’s a trial, something I can go back to if I want to do the step-back run-up.”I spoke to Kevin Shine, the head bowling coach, and Chris Silverwood, who’s out here, and said that off my short run-up I felt I was having to force it all the time. That meant I was putting more stress on than I needed to, having to ramp it up to get my top speed.”So pushed my run-up back, so that it felt like I could cruise into it a little more and look for more rhythm, rather than trying to be at the top end all the time, and putting more stress on my body.”Wood hasn’t had much of a chance to put any stress on his body just yet, however. England have faced monsoonal conditions since their arrival in Sri Lanka, and their planned two days of practice in Colombo was reduced to a single contest against a Board XI. It did at least give the bowlers an inkling of how the pitches might behave come the start of the series.”We’ve had a lot of rain so far. Some days are red hot, sweaty humid conditions, and quite nice to bowl in and there are some days when it’s rained a lot and it’s coming from the ground up. It’s different conditions to deal with.”The pitch didn’t feel as subcontinental like as you might think,” he added. “It’s subtropical here in Sri Lanka, not like India or the UAE. It’s more humid and a lot greener than you might expect. The one-day wickets have had a bit of tennis-ball bounce and have swung a bit for England for three or four overs, so we have to use that to our advantage.”Thanks to their plethora of allrounders, England’s one-day squad is packed with seam-bowling options, which means that Wood envisages being used in short, sharp bursts to conserve energy and mix up the modes of attack.”It is ridiculously hot, so coming from a seam bowling point of view, it’ll be two or three overs, smash it as hard as you can, then get off. The spinners are the ones who are going to attack here, but that new ball is key for us. If we can get wickets up front when it’s doing a bit, that’ll be brilliant, but if not, we’ll sit in, try to dot up and make it hard, then let the spinners attack from the other end.”Reverse swing is a traditional factor in Asian conditions, but Wood said that England may need to adapt their methods to obtain the contrast between the rough and smooth sides of the ball to unlock that particular weapon.”Being quick through air will be key with reverse swing, but this ground at Dambulla looks lush and green, so I’m not sure how much reverse there’ll be. But the Sri Lankans tend to wet one side of the ball, and keep it smooth. They know better than anyone in their own conditions, so maybe we can take a leaf out of their book.”

Chelsea ace Cole Palmer has explained his decision to leave Manchester City last summer after leading the Blues to a 3-2 win over Newcastle on Monday.

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Palmer scores and assists against NewcastleUp to 26 goal contributions already for ChelseaExplains decision to leave City in the summerGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Palmer scored one and assisted another as he ended up being the standout Chelsea performer yet again on Monday night. The English forward saw his goalward effort flicked home for the first before he struck an absolute piledriver to make it 2-1 in the second half. Substitute Mykhailo Mudryk got in on the action late on with a fine solo effort that ended up being the decider, but it was Palmer who earned himself Player of the Match for his efforts. Speaking after the game he explained his decision to join the Blues, as he remains optimistic over the club's project.

AdvertisementWHAT PALMER SAID

The 21-year-old told after the full-time whistle: "I thought I was ready to play football week in, week out and that's the reason [I joined Chelsea]. I just wanted to showcase my ability and thankfully it has paid off. It was a very difficult decision to leave City, I was there since six years old. I was ready to play football, had a chat with my family, had a chat with the club and moved to Chelsea."

On the long-term project at Stamfort Bridge, Palmer issued a warning to any doubters: "I think there’s so much talent at Chelsea, the fans don’t see it, you guys [media] don’t see it. It’s only gonna get better I’m sure, if not next season the season after it’s a project, everyone’s young. You will see it sooner or later.”

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Palmer's goal and assist on Monday takes him to 19 goal contributions in the Premier League and 26 across all competitions this term. His signing, alongside perhaps that of Malo Gusto, remains the standout piece of business from the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital era, as time and again he has proven himself to be the difference maker for Chelsea. His displays have also given him an outside shot of an England call-up for Euro 2024. Those chances were dealt a significant boost on Monday as Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate was at Stamford Bridge to watch his masterclass against Newcastle.

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WHAT NEXT FOR PALMER?

The England youngster will no doubt form a crucial part of Mauricio Pochettino's attacking line when they face Leicester in their next match, which comes in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday. Chelsea, alongside Wolves, were the only Premier League side to avoid a top-flight opponent in the last-eight, meaning they have a real chance of returning to Wembley for the second time in two months if they reach the semi-finals.

Glamorgan’s batting has troubled them all season and Josh Poysden’s career-best ensured there would be no let up

ECB Reporters Network09-Jun-2018
ScorecardA career-best five for 29 from Warwickshire leg-spinner Josh Poysden continued Glamorgan’s batting struggles on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match at Edgbaston.The Welsh county chose to bat, aiming to at least double their haul of just three batting points collected from the first four games.But they added just one more as, on a slow pitch, they were bowled out for 220 after Poysden, playing his first championship game of the season, dismantled the lower order.Poysden said: “It has been a really frustrating time for me, not being in the team at the start of this year and for most of last year. I didn’t play as much as I wanted to, especially in the championship last year, and with us getting relegated it hurt not to be able to contribute.”But I went away in the winter and worked hard with Stuart MacGill again and then, after I came back, have worked hard with the coaches here at Edgbaston.”Australia Test star Usman Khawaja made just four on his debut and, though David Lloyd, Owen Morgan and Chris Cooke all got decent starts, no-one built the big innings required.The total looks well under par, although Glamorgan fought back well in the last session, removing both Warwickshire openers to leave the home side on 24 for 2 at the close.After Chris Cooke, captaining Glamorgan for the first time, won the toss, young openers Nick Selman and Jack Murphy added 44 in 14 overs. They were parted by Henry Brookes when Murphy was adjudged lbw by Indian umpire Yeshwant Barde, officiating in the first match of his exchange trip.Connor Brown then edged Chris Wright behind and Selman (30, 74 balls, four fours) bat-padded Jeetan Patel to short leg.Khawaja’s uncomfortable, 47-minute stay was ended by a Keith Barker inswinger and Barker should have immediately also dismissed Cooke, who was dropped on nought by Dominic Sibley at second slip. The captain survived to add 57 in 15 overs with Morgan before misreading Poysden’s first ball and falling lbw.Poysden struck again in each of his first two overs after tea when Morgan was lbw and Andrew Salter clipped to short mid-wicket.Lloyd, having batted forcefully to pass 2,000 first-class runs in his 50th match, then departed deeply unimpressed with the decision that he had edged a ball from Patel on to pad before Tim Ambrose reached forward to catch it.Ruaidhri Smith became the fifth lbw casualty when he missed a sweep at Poysden who bowled Lukas Carey first ball to complete his five-for.Glamorgan hit back hard when the home side replied as Carey rattled Will Rhodes’ stumps with the first ball of the innings and Timm Van der Gugten castled Sibley with the 56th.Both sides are depleted in the seam-bowling department with Warwickshire’s Olly Stone and Ryan Sidebottom ruled out by side strains and Glamorgan missing captain Michael Hogan and Marchant de Lange due to hamstring injuries.